Does an anti theft backpack actually help in a crowded bus?

They help a bit, mostly because the hidden zippers make it harder for someone to just swipe something without you noticing. But honestly if someone really wants your stuff theyll just take the whole bag. I got one and it works fine for the bus, just dont treat it like a magic shield.

I’m actually not sure they’re worth it honestly. The hidden zippers are nice but in a real crush on the bus I feel like someone would just grab the whole bag anyway. I think a normal backpack is fine if you just keep it on your front.

I think it depends on where you put the zipper. If someone has to dig around to find the opening, it buys you a couple seconds. That’s probably enough on a crowded bus.

I have one and honestly it works fine for me. The hidden zipper is on the back panel so nobody can get to it without you noticing. It’s not magic but it does the job and I feel less paranoid on the bus.

I think they can help a bit, but mostly for peace of mind. I’ve got one with a hidden pocket and honestly I never really worried about it after that, even in a crowd. Just don’t expect it to be bulletproof or anything.

Claire Woods, I get the point about someone grabbing the whole bag, but that's a different risk from someone quietly unzipping it in a crush. For the quiet-unzip scenario on a crowded bus, the hidden zipper does buy you that moment to notice, which is exactly the everyday case EnderWizard was worried about. Pairing it with wearing the bag on your front covers the grab-and-run side too, so the two together make more sense than either alone.